Embalming, the process of temporarily preserving human remains, has been practiced across cultures throughout time. Today, the United States is one of the only countries in the world where it is standard practice to chemically preserve the dead for funeral viewings. Anna Dhody, Curator of the Mütter Museum, will talk about the history of embalming with an emphasis on the rise of embalming traditions during the American Civil War. Don’t miss this disturbingly informative talk!

Anna Dhody is the Curator of the Mütter Museum of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia. A physical and forensic anthropologist, she has a Master’s in Forensic Science from George Washington University. She began her career at Harvard’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology and has taught forensic anthropology and lectured domestically and internationally.

Weeknights at the Wagner talks are held at the Wagner Free Institute of Science. This year we will start the program later to allow extra time for people to arrive. Talks will start promptly at 6:00PM. The museum will be open before the talk begins, so come early to explore our National Historic Landmark building and preserved Victorian era museum.

This program is free, but a suggested donation of $8-$10 supports our mission and ensures that we can continue bringing you fantastic programs like this one.

Wednesday, October 30, 2013 from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM (EDT)

Organizer

Wagner Free Institute of Science

Founded in 1855, the Wagner Free Institute of Science is dedicated to providing free public education in science. Its programs include free courses and lectures, field trips and lessons for children and museum tours for all ages. The evening science courses are the oldest program devoted to free adult education in the United States.

The Institute’s Museum houses more than 100,000 natural history specimens, a collection begun by founder William Wagner in the early nineteenth century and expanded by the pre-eminent scientist Joseph Leidy in the 1880s. Completed in 1865, the Institute’s National Historic Landmark building is essentially unchanged since the late-nineteenth century and includes a Victorian Exhibition Hall filled with fossils, shells, minerals and mounted animal skeletons and skins displayed in original wood and glass cabinets. The Museum is open to visitors Tuesdays - Fridays, 9 AM to 4 PM, year-round. Evening and weekend programs are offered during the fall, winter and spring.